Tuesday, May 22, 2018

If you set out to make an ice cream or sorbet from a
vegetable, celery wouldn’t be your first choice, but nevertheless, these
unremarkable ribs produce a shockingly delicious frozen treat. And, I said
“frozen treat,” instead of dessert for a reason, since this has as many savory
applications as sweet ones.

The first time I ever had something like this, it was used
to garnish a plate of salmon gravlax. It was presented next to the cold, cured
fish, on a pile of crispy rye breadcrumbs, and the combination of tastes,
textures, and temperatures truly was incredible. After that meal, I promised myself I’d figure out how to
make this stuff no matter how long, or many failed attempts it took. Luckily,
Mark Bittman had already posted a recipe for it in the Times, so I ended up
nailing it on the first try, but still, promise kept.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, there are like a
hundred hacks online for how to do this without one, or you can simply use the
method highlighted in our strawberry granite video, which will produce something
closer in texture to a snow cone, but amazing nonetheless. No matter what you use,
I really do hope you give this very unusual, but absolutely delicious celery
sorbet a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, May 18, 2018

I’m not sure what your usual breakfast routine entails, but
chances are you occasionally get bored with it, and crave something completely
different, and when that happens, it doesn’t get much more different than this
fast, and easy fried cheese egg toast. Be careful though, since afterwards it’s
not easy going back to that bowl of oatmeal.

While pan-frying cheese may not sound particularly healthy, as
it caramelizes, it gives up a fair amount of butter fat, which stays behind in
the pan. So, you could actually spin this technique as a new, fat-reducing hack
– unless you use that to butter the toast, which isn’t a dumb idea.

By the way, I hope you like your yolks runny, since if you
don’t, this is not going to be nearly as great. Which reminds me, why do people
not like runny yolks? What’s not to like? I hope they don’t think they’re
dangerous, because they’re not. Anyway, if you are a fan of the flow, this
fried cheese egg toast is the way to go, so I really do hope you give this a
try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one Fried Cheese Egg Toast:

1 ounce grated cheddar cheese

pinch red pepper flakes

1 large egg

1 piece of toast

sliced green onions to garnish

pinch of salt

*Note: For best results, rub your non-stick pan with a few
drops of olive oil

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Ever since I saw Alton Brown grilling skirt steak on hot coals, I’ve wanted to try this technique for a larger hunk
of meat, but it was the realization that no one had yet called a recipe
“barbarian beef,” that provided the final push.

By the way, I did no historical
research, but I assume your average barbarian was too busy pillaging to lug a
grill around, and just cooked their meat right on the coals. So, for the purposes of this post, that's the story we'll be going with.

I used top round for this, and if
you’re just going to slice it thin, and make sandwiches it’s fine, but now that
I have a little experience, I’d like to try it with a tenderer cut. No matter
what you use, you’ll want to take it off a few degrees under whatever your
regular internal temp target is, since it definitely continues to cook after
you take it off the coals.

It’ll depend on the size/shape of your
cut, but use a thermometer to check, as the temp will probably climb by at
least 10 degrees. Above and beyond doneness, the flavor of the beef really was
great. Very similar to something off a grill, but with a little bit deeper
level of smokiness. Even if you don’t cook your steak on the coals, the sauce
was quite nice, and comes highly recommended, but officially, I really do hope
you give both a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, May 11, 2018

I know chocolate granola sort of sounds like candy, but introducing
cocoa into the mix not only makes it delicious, it also actually makes it
better for you! Possibly. No one is really sure. The point is this really
tastes great, and would make a wonderful treat for the chocolate lover, mother
or otherwise, in your life.

I showed amazing restraint not adding anything more that
oatmeal and almonds, since I really think that’s the best plan for the
chocolate base, but I would have no problem with you accessorizing this as you see
fit. Coconut flakes are an obvious choice, as are other usual suspects like
dried fruit, any and all nuts, and assorted seeds.

If you want a stickier granola, that will more easily clump
together, you can up the brown sugar and maple syrup a bit, as I used the bare
minimum in this recipe, but I think it’s plenty sweet enough, especially if
you’re a fan of dark chocolate.

Speaking of chocolate, I used Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge, a
Dutch-process cocoa, which has a lower acidity than regular cocoa, and works
perfectly flavor-wise. However, I’ve heard that type of cocoa doesn’t retain as
much of the nutritional value, due to the way it’s processed. The good news is,
any high-quality cocoa will work here.

By the way, I was only half-kidding about making this for
someone, and then keeping it all for yourself, so best play it safe, and make a
double, or triple batch. No matter how much you make, or what you add in, I
really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 3 1/2 cups of Chocolate Granola:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

pinch of cayenne

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (Dutch-processed if possible)

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup chopped almonds

- Mix, and bake at 250 F. for about an hour, or until as
crunchy/chewy as you like.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

I was attempting to do a little twist on the venerable
Croque Madame, by soaking the toast in a custard batter before frying, instead
of topping it with the usual white sauce, but when I’d finished, I realized
what I really had created was a Monte Cristo with a poached egg on top. These
things will happen.

It was amazingly delicious, but I decided it wasn’t close
enough to call a Croque Madame, which is when I turned to Twitter for help.
This is never a good idea, but this time it totally worked out, as some dude who goes
by the name, Zap Shakur (@zapshakur), suggested I go with “Madame Cristo,” and
the rest is history.

If you’re just making one or two, feel free to poach your
eggs right before the sandwiches are done, but for larger parties, you’ll want
to check out this poached egg video, which shows a great make-ahead method for serving multiple poached eggs at the same time. This is exactly how it’s done in restaurants, where cooking to order would be virtually
impossible.

If you are feeding a larger group, you can make your sandwiches ahead, and then just keep
them in a warm oven, until you're ready to top with the poached eggs. But, whether you’re making this for two or twenty, I really do hope
you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Madame Cristos:

4 slices white bread, lightly toasted

8 thin slices of Gruyere, Swiss, Cheddar, Havarti, or any
other melting cheese

Friday, May 4, 2018

Mastering the Margarita requires a certain amount of practice, which is the good news and the
bad news, but once you dial-in your perfect ratio, it’s a really easy
cocktail to replicate. The classic recipe is three parts tequila, two parts
triple sec, and one part freshly squeezed lime juice, and you should probably
start off pretty close to that, but my personal favorite proportions are 4-3-2, as you’ll see listed below.

For the best results, be sure to use fresh ice, and of
course fresh limes, as well as a nice bottle of triple sec, like Cointreau.
That’s my favorite, but if you browse other recipes, you’ll see there are many
fine choices. You’ll also want to use a decent white tequila, like the Don
Abraham's Single Estate Blanco Tequila I enjoyed, but having
said that, feel free to use one with a shorter name.

The other big tips here are shake your cocktail mixer until
frost forms on the outside, and then strain it over fresh ice. The ice we use
to make the drink will melt too fast in the glass, and so a large, still frozen
cube is the way to go. By the way, Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, so check those
ice cube trays before bed.

So whether you’re going to make these for the 5th of May, or
another time this summer when you feel like sipping on one of the most
refreshing, and delicious adult beverages ever invented, I really do hope you
give this Margarita a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 1 Perfect Margarita:

2 ounces white tequila

1.5 ounces triple sec

1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

1 thin slice of lime

- Some like to add a dash agave nectar for a little extra sweetness, but I do not.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

I was only half kidding about the “ultimate” designation for
this, as it truly was everything I’ve ever wanted in a fresh berry crumble. This
has the perfect balance of sweet and tart, tender and crisp, not to mention copious
amounts of butter in our double application of crumble.

As I mentioned in the video, if you want a pie-like filling,
you’ll want to toss in a few teaspoons of cornstarch, otherwise for a runnier
fruit mixture cut it in half, or leave it out altogether. It really depends on
what you’re into, but either way, some ice cream on the side is highly
recommended.

This really shines with fresh berries, but it will work with
the frozen ones. Those tend to be a lot juicier, so keep that in mind when
making cornstarch related decisions. And don’t feel like you have to stick to
berries, as ripe peaches, and other summer stone fruit would also be fantastic
in this. No matter what you use, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 to 8 portions (made in 2-quart casserole):

For the crumble:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) frozen unsalted butter, grated

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, or enough for dough to
“clump”

For the fruit mixture:

3 generous cups fresh berries

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup white sugar

1 to 4 teaspoons cornstarch, depending on how firm you want the
fruit filling (I used 4 tsp)